Door construction



Sept. 15, 1931.

J. F. OCQNNOR DOOR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet III Filed Nov. 26, 1928 p 1931- J. F. OCONNOR DOOR CQNSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,0 10,9 fir Ira/e212) Jbmfzmar Patented Sept. 15, 1931 uni-Ten; s'rArss JOHN F. OCONNOR, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, assrenon T w. n. MINER, Inc or ceramic,

new orricE.

ILLrnoIs, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE Loon consrnuc'rron Application filed November 26, 1928. Serial No. 321,855.

This invention relatestoimprovements in door construction. 7 e

One object of the invention is toe-provide, in a double door construction oft-he hinged type, especially adapted for railway cars and forming the end wall of the car, simple and efiicient means for locking the doors in closed relation, wherein the locking'memhers in addition form substantial bracing means adjacent the meeting edges of the doors for preventing outward bulging of the same, due to the pressure of the lading'; my improved construction being moreparticularly designed for automobile box cars.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a locking means for double doors of the character indicated, including a pair of locking bars of H-beam cross section which are pivoted to the respective doors adjacent the meeting edges of the doors'to swing in planes parallel to the'doors the locking bars 'cooperatingwith keepers at the top and bottom of the door frame, wherein each bar is arranged with the web thereof at right angles to the door to give the maximum bracing strength and vhas the inner flange member bearing on the outer face of the door between the top and bottom edges thereof to reinforce said door throughout its height.

Other and further objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part-of this specification, Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a car, showing a double door construction and illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a' horizontal, sectional view, corresponding snbstantially'to the line 2+2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal,sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line H of Figure 3. And Figure 5 is a vertical, sectional view in a plane parallel to one of the doors when closed, correspond ing substantially to the line 5-5 of Fig ure 2.

In said drawings, designates generally the body of the car and 11 the usual endsill, having a striking casting 12 secured thereto, 'The unessential parts of the car are omitted in the drawings, that is, the car truck and theassociated parts are not shown. 7 The roof of the caris designated by 13 and is provided with the usual running board 14 extending lengthwise of the car. The end wall of the car is formed by a pair of pivoted doors, the door frame for which is defined by a transverse beam 15,

a threshold 16, and the usual side members which in this case are the end portions of the side walls of the car. The doors are designated by and 21, respectively, and,

as shown, are hinged along their outer vertical edges by a plurality of strap hinges 22-22.; As shown in the present instance,

the doors are, of the metal type comprising sheet metal panels having transversereinforcing corrugations 23. e I

Incarrying out-my invention, I employ an improved locking mechanism comprising,

broadly, a pair of locking bars or beams AA, top keeper means B and bottom keeper means C, operating levers DD, connecting links EE, and pivot brackets or blocks F F.

As shown in the present instance, each' door is made 'up of side members 2424, connecting top and bottom members 2525, an inner panel 26 secured to these members,- and an outer sheet metal panel 27 which, as hereinbefore pointed out, is preferably corrugated. The sheet metal panel, as shown, has the side edges thereof flanged inwardly and overhanging the members 24. The'top and bottom edges of the sheet metal panel portion 27 of the door are bent inwardly to provide horizontal sections and portions at right angles thereto which form vertical flanges engaging the rear portions of the members 25. As will be evident, a relatively light and simple door construction is thus provided. This is accomplished without sacrificing the strength of the end wall structure of the car which the doors form, in-

'tion which is really a part of the door strucadjacent edge of the door 20.

The locking bars A are of identical construction, each bar being n the form of an "H-beanrhaving the web thereof disposed at right angles to the plane of the door with which it is associated and the flanges thereof disposed parallel to the outer face of said door, with the inner flange in bearing relation with said face, that is, as shown in Figure 3, in bearing engagement with the high points of the corrugations of the door.

As will be evident, my construction is not. limited to doors. of the corrugated sheet metal panel type, but may be employed equally well in connection with doors having panels presenting flat faces.

Each bar A is pivotally supported between its ends for swinging movement in a plane parallel to the door on which the bar is mounted by means of the corresponding pivot bracket F. Each bracket F comprises a strap-likemember 28 which has securing flanges 29 at oppositesides thereof, upstanding walls 30 at rightangles to the plane -of the door and an offset connecting wall portion 31 parallel to the plane of the door and spaced therefrom so as to accommodate the H beam-like bar A between the same and the face of the door. blocks 32 32 are disposed within the straplike member 28, each block having top and bottom flanges 3383 which overhang the top and bottom ends of the corresponding side wall 30 of the bracket and a curved concave bearing surface 34 on the inner side thereof which cooperates with bearing means on the corresponding locking bar A, as hereinafter pointedout. Each block is also cut away, as indicated at 3535, adjacent the top and bottom inner sides thereof, to accommodate the web of the bar during angular swinging movement.

The journal member of each bar A is formed by a pair of blocks 3636, as shown inFigure 5, secured by rivets to opposite sides of the web and fitting between the inner and outer flanges of the H-beam bar. The blocks 36 present cylindrical outer hearing surfaces 3737 which cooperate with the bearin surfaces 34-34 of the pivot bracket.

The top keeper means B is in the form of a single casting having pockets 3838 at opposite ends thereof, adapted to receive the upper ends of the locking bars to lock the doors in closed position. As shown, the

.pockets 38 open laterally outwardly so that the engaging ends of the bars may swing inwardlyinto locking engagement with the *ticable.

A pair of bearing same, for example,from the dotted line position shown in connection with the door 20 to the full line position illustrated in Figure 1. The bottom keeper means C, as shown in the present instance, is formed as an integral part of the-striking casting 12, but the same may be formed of a separate casting. The striking casting 12 is provided with a pair of laterally inwardly opening pockets 3939 at the top edge thereof, with which the lowerends of the bars A are adapted to interlock. As will be evident, when the lower keeper means is formed as an integral part of the striking casting, the construction is greatly simplified and additional strength and rigidity is had.

In order to properly guide the upper and lower ends of the bars during their swinging'movement, I preferably-provide guide straps 4040 which overhang the bars and.

are fixed to the doors as closely adjacent to the upper and lower edges thereof as prac- The guide straps 40 are of sufiicient width to accommodate the necessary swinging movement of the bars A.

To facilitate the operation of the locking bars A, I provide the operating lever D, hereinbefore referred to, and the connectinglink E associated with each bar. The operating lever D is pivotally supported on the corresponding'door on a bracket 41 and has a hand grip 42 by which the same may be manipulated. The upper end of the lever D is pivotally connected to the link E which has the other end pivotally connected to a bracket 43 secured to the transverse web of the corresponding locking bar The locking mechanism is provided with the usual sealing means, the lever D of each operating means being provided with an upstanding ear 44 having a perforation and the door being'provided with a bracket. 45 having an upstanding ear also provided with an opening adapted to register with an opening of the member 44. When the doors are locked, the parts will be in the position shown in Figure 1 and the usual car seal may then be passed through the openings in the ears of the levers D and the brackets 45 and sealed in the usual manner.

In the operation of my improved door locking means, the doors are swung to closed position and then the locking bars are operated through means of the levers D to swing the same to the vertical position shown in'Figure 1, wherein the upper and lower ends of the bars will be in interlocking engagement with the keeper means by engaging within the pockets 38 and 39 of the keeper means B and C. When the doors have been locked in this manner, it will be evident that the bars A form rigidifying beams for the end wall structure of the car, which the doors form, the upper and lower ends of the bars being tightly interlocked with the keepers which are rigidly secured to the body of the car and the intermediate portions of the beams bracing the doors throughout the vertical height thereof. The. flanges on the inner sides of the beams A carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended hereto. i

1 claim: 7

1. In a door construction, the combination with a member having a door opening; of a door hinged along one vertical edge to said member; keepers fixed to said member above and below said door; and a locking bar pivoted on said door to swing in a plane parallel thereto and having the top and bottom edges thereof cooperating with the keepers to lock said door, said bar being disposed parallel to the pivotal axis of the hinged edge of the door when in locking engagement with the keepers, said bar having a vertically extending web and a vertically extending flange, said flange being disposed in a plane parallel to the face of the door and said web being disposed in a plane at an angle to the door to brace said flange.

2. In a door construction, the combination with a member having a door opening; of a door for closing the said opening hinged along one vertical edge to said member; a vertically arranged locking bar pivoted to said door adjacent the free vertical edge, said bar being of H-beam form and having the web thereof disposed at right angles to the plane of the door and the inner flange substantially parallel to the outer face of the door in engaging bracing relation thereto; and keepers on said member above and below the door, with which the ends of the bar interlock, said bar being disposed substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the door when in looking engagement with the keepers. i

3. In a railway car having a pair of hinged doors forming an end wall structure, said. doors being hinged along their outer vertical edges, the combination with a looking bar pivoted to each door adjacent the vertical inner edge thereof, to swing in a plane parallel to the plane of the door, said bar having a. vertically disposed web and a vertically disposed flange, both extending from end to end of said bar, said flange being disposed in a plane parallel to the face of keeper's above and below said door,;with-' which the ends of said bar are adapted to ofthe door and the web being disposed in a plane at righta-ngles to said flange to brace the same, said flange having sliding engagement withethe outer surface of said door;

interlock, sition:

4. In a. railway car having a door opening and a pair of hinged doors for'closing said gg when in substantially vertical poop ening; each of said doors being hinged along one edge, the combination with'a locking bar pivoted to each door adjacent the op-' p'osite edge thereof, said last named edges of the doors being the meeting edges, said bar igo raving a flange extending from end to end thereof and bearing on the face of said door, said flange being reinforced by a web in a plane at right angles thereto and extending lengthwise of the bar; of keepers on said az') car at the top and bottom edges of said doors interlocking with the top and bottom ends of the bar, said bar engaging said keepers in locking relation when said bar is vertically disposed.

5. In a railway car having a pair of hinged doors forming an end wall structure, said doors being hinged along their outer vertical edges, the combination with a locking bar pivoted on each door adjacent the inner edge thereof to swing in a plane parallel to the plane of the door and having bearing engagement with the door, said bar having a reinforcing web extending lengthwise there-- of and in a plane parallel to the length of the car for bracing said door, of keeper means on said car ith which the opposite ends of said bars interlock, when the door is swung to a position substantially parallel to the axis of swinging movement of said doors.

6. In a railway car having a pair of hinged doors forming an end wall structure, said doors being hinged along their outer edges, the combination with a locking bar pivoted 5310 to each door adj acent the inner edge thereof and having swinging movement in a plane parallel to the face of thedoor; of a striking casting secured to the end of the car, said striking casting having keeper means' formed integral therewith and cooperating with the lower end of said bar; and additional keeper means cooperating with the upper end of said bar, said bar being substantially verticallydisposed when in locking engagement with the keepers.

7. In a locking means for a door hinged along one edge, the combination with a looking bar of H-beain formation; of a bracket means fixed to said door adjacent the opposite edge, said bracket means having a journal portion; bearing blocks secured to the web of said H-beam, said blocks'being disposed between the flanges of said beam and having curved bearing faces cooperat-" ing with said journal portion, thereby supn porting the bar for swinging movement in a plane parallel to the plane of the door; and V keeper means cooperating with the bar for locking the door, with which" the bar engages when substantially vertically disposed in parallel relation tothe axis of swlnging movement of the door to lock said door and brace the same. I

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23d day of November, 1928. L

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

